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I AM MORE THAN ONE—WITH THE LORD

new year touching lives

 MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN 2016

This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

“An optimist says up until midnight to see the New Year in.
A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”¹

The Pessimist:
Let’s leave 2015 behind as quickly as possible and watch the ball drop at Times Square to make sure this year departs. It’s been a year of turmoil, strife, violence, loss, an increase in acceptance and tolerance of immoral behavior, and a challenge to our Christian faith. Why would we want to hold onto it? Just “drop the ball” and start off anew on January 1st, 2016.

The Optimist:
Let’s reflect on 2015: A year of turmoil, strife, violence, loss, an increase in acceptance and tolerance of immoral behavior, and a challenge to our Christian faith—during which times many demonstrated courage, empathy, charity, forgiveness, compassion, sacrifice, and great faith. It has been a year where we were called to stand for what we believe in, both publicly and privately. The ball may “drop” to end 2015, but what we learned this year should be carried into 2016. We cannot start anew. We must start where we left off and make use of the lessons of 2015 to build up our faith, our courage, our empathy, our charity, our forgiveness, our compassion, and our willingness to make sacrifices for the Lord.

The Pessimist: I am only one. What can I do to make a difference?
The Optimist: I am the one. “I must be the change I wish to see in the world” (Gandhi)—and in myself.

“Do I dare Disturb the universe?”― T.S. Eliot
“In a gentle way, [I] can shake the world.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”
― Edward Everett Hale
“I have one life and one chance to make it count for something… My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.”
― Jimmy Carter

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” – James 5:16

A new year awaits us. Let us go to our “war rooms” and pray with due diligence to be stronger in our trust in God, wiser in our actions by His guidance, and bolder in our decisions to make a difference for the Lord.

I AM MORE THAN ONE—WITH THE LORD.

 ¹Bill Vaughan

(Sharon G. Tate blog 12/27/15) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word

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The Manger–The Garden–The Cross: God’s Gift of Grace

Free-Wallpaper-Christian-Christmas-Luke2-11

A child born, fulfilling His prophecy:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)
A man kneeling, praying His sorrow:
“ ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.’ 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 20:42-44)
A Son lifted, rendering His obedience:
“ . . . Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” (Luke 28-30)

*****************************************************************************
The child, the man, the Son–as one,
Carrying the burden of the promise-
At the manger, the Garden, the cross;
Compassion, redemption, salvation.
God has blessed us—every one.

The Reason to Rejoice this Season—and all Seasons
“Then the shepherds returned, glorifying God and praising God for
all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”
(Luke 2:20)

As it has been told to us through the Word, let us rejoice in the birth
of Jesus and the fulfillment of the prophecy that led to our salvation.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 12/20/15) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word

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SINGING TO GOD WITH THE VOICE OF THE HEART

 

 

sing-to-the-lord

“Music is well said to be the speech of angels;
in fact, nothing among the utterances allowed to man
is felt to be so divine.
It brings us near to the infinite.” ¹

“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.” (Psalm 95:1)

Through the music, we sing to the Lord–
**expressing our joy, adoration, love, and thanksgiving;
**requesting His forgiveness, His grace, His mercy, and His hope;
**reaching up to Him in awe, in wonder, and in praise;
**crying out to Him in distress, in loneliness, in despair, and in grief;
**worshipping Him with the outpouring of our souls through song.

Through the music, we connect with each other on a spiritual level:
“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord…” (Ephesians 5:19)
Through singing, we are in harmony before the Lord, lifting our voices and our hearts in one accord to Him. The words of the music become our devotion, our prayer, our praise, our thanks, our joy, our hope, our confession, our penance, and our love to the Father.

Through the music, that which truly dwells within us is given voice:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)

How we sing the music is an indication of the nature of our inner being. If the Word of the Lord is deeply rooted within us, firmly secured in our hearts, our voices will sing spiritual songs.

Through the music, we proclaim His Glory:
“I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.” (Psalm 101:1)
“I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” (Psalm 7:17)
“I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” (Psalm 9:2)

As we sing to our Lord and our God, let us remember that He is listening. As we sing to the Most High, let us not forget that He is hearing. As we offer our voices in song to our Father, let us bear in mind that He wants us, His children, to acknowledge Him with due respect and honor.

We must each search within and ask: “What voice will the Lord hear from my heart today?”

¹Thomas Carlyle (1795 –1881) was a Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 12/13/15) teacherforjesus.com   Meditations on God’s Word

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CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP: A GIFT BESTOWED BY GOD

fellowship encourage one another

FELLOWSHIP: Friendly association, especially with people who share one’s interests; companionship; comradeship; friendship; mutual support; togetherness; solidarity. (www.google.com/fellowship)

Fellowship in the Lord is a special gift only Christians can fully unwrap, open to the Light, and experience. God has given us a church family—brothers and sisters who share a common bond, a common love, a common faith, a common hope in Christ. Through Christian fellowship, we are each other’s mutual support and companions through the challenges, tests, struggles, suffering, and hardships in this life. We are each other’s faithful friends, sharing in the joys, special moments, and laugh-out-loud times. Our solidarity is secured in our united efforts as comrades in the cause of Christ, showing His love through our lives and through our fellowship with one another.

Do we have this type of fellowship that God intended for us? Are we following the example of the New Testament church?
Acts 2:42 – And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
1 John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:3 – That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the Lord cannot exist without the presence of CHRIST Himself. When we pray, when we break bread, when we sing, when we worship, HE is with us. When we share a meal and thank Him for it, HE is seated at the table. As we clean the building in the spring, HE is there in our midst. When we sing carols to the elderly in a nursing home or assisted living, JESUS is harmonizing with us. Fellowship in Christ is fellowship with Christ.

This gift of Christian fellowship, bestowed by God, is a blessing in this life but an even greater joy in eternity. Our friendship, our companionship, and our togetherness will continue forever. Human fellowship cannot last, but fellowship in Christ endures and grows stronger. Can we envision what Christian fellowship in heaven will be like? Can we have the kind of Christian fellowship on this earth that prepares us for that Day?

Hebrews 10:24-25- And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, (25) not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Have we made good use of God’s special gift to us in our fellowship with one another? How have we thanked Him? Do others know we are Christians by our fellowship with one another? Let us pray with purpose and faith that we may use this God-gift of Christian fellowship to help and encourage each other in our walk with Him, as we work together in solidarity to bring souls to His salvation-and to this special fellowship of His followers.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 12/06/15)  teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word

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GOD-THE GREAT “I AM”–HEARS OUR CRIES

 Control God's all thru time

IS ANYONE IN CHARGE AROUND HERE?

                            “I AM!” 

13) Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
14) God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
15) God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’
“This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. ” (Exodus 3: 13-15)

In times such as ours–when the world seems to be in complete disorder with constant news and views of threats; terrorism; violence; greed; the political morass; immorality; moral decay; and loss of innocence in children facing poverty, homelessness, war, famine, and slavery—we must remember WHO is truly in charge “from generation to generation” and trust in Him.

2)The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3) I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4) The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5) The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6) In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears. (Psalm 18:2-6)

Let us remember to call unto the Lord, the great I AM, who hears our voices.

16)He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17) He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18) They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.
19) He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20) The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21) For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I am not guilty of turning from my God. (Psalm 18:16-21)

Let us remember to always keep the ways of the Lord and never turn from Him.

OUR GOD IS IN CONTROL:
I AM is with us-His followers-in the present, as He has been to the faithful before us,
as He shall be for those who keep His ways after us.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 11/29/15) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word

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Blessed by God: Beyond Human Understanding

thanks to God for blessings

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name. (Psalm 100:4)
AMEN! AND AMEN! AND AMEN!

Gratitude, appreciation, obligation, indebtedness, thanks… How can what we express ever be enough for what God gives to us:

Love beyond our capability: Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)

Gifts beyond our asking: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)

Peace beyond our conception: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.(John14:27)                                                                                                                             

Strength beyond our capacity: I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13) 

Forgiveness beyond our expectation: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ( 1 John 1:9)

Salvation beyond our understanding: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Grace beyond our worth: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— (Ephesians 2:8)

Eternal life beyond our mortal grasp: And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

Thanksgiving and Praise to Our Lord, Our Savior, Our Father:
I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness;
I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High. (Psalm 7:17)

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17)

Let us daily remember to Whom we owe our thanks and praise for the blessings we have.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 11/22/15) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

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CALLED TO SERVE: SERVING GOD BY SERVING OTHERS

serving God through-serving-others-3-728
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10)
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“Service! Anybody?”
“Where’s the service around here?”
“Hey, who’s in charge of service at this place?”
“The service is terrible.”
“I wouldn’t come back if someone paid me.”
“You call this service!”
“I don’t have all day.”

The world’s perspective on “service” is to be served. “Wait on me—now. Meet my expectations of how I want to be-or deserve to be-served.” Cashiers, waiters, waitresses, clerks, aides, tellers, and many others can be categorized as “servers” who are, sometimes, looked down upon and treated as “less” in comparison to the ones being served or waited on. How many times have we been guilty of this? Have we spoken these words—with the expectation that we should be properly and deservedly served?

In contrast to the world’s viewpoint, God’s perspective on “service” is to serve. We are not to be the ones waited upon, but the servants who serve. This is how we can “become great.” (26) Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, (27) and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—(28) just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28)

Our example is Jesus, who left His Father’s realm to live among us as a servant. He sacrificed His life in service to each one of us so that we might live in that heavenly realm one day. He is the King who is the Ruler over our lives—and, yet, Jesus says “the one who rules (should be) like the one who serves” and He declares Himself as one who serves:
(25) Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. (26) But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. (27) For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.“ (Luke 22:25-27)

Humility is not usually a trait associated with high achievement in our world today. Yet, we are called to be humble and serve. Such is the mark of “greatness” with God. (13)You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. (Galatians 5:13)

The work we do in this life is really in service to Christ and, through Him, to each other-our brothers and sisters in the Lord and to those we want to bring to the Lord: (23) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, (24) since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Service? Anybody? We are called to serve.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 11/15/15) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

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CHILDREN OF GOD: BECOMING “SUCH AS THESE.”

                                     children beckoning to come

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder

them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

(Matthew 19:14)

     *********************************
He picked a dandelion to place in a vase.
“ A beautiful flower, just for you.”
She scribbled a drawing to mount in a frame.
“ A picture I made, just for you.”
They snuggled closer, needing my presence.
“I love you”, each said, with adoring eyes.
Secure in my arms, in peaceful trust,
My little ones came unto me for rest.

The gifts are simple, openly given with innocent love. The desire to be near in the presence of the parent, a need deep within, is one that must be met. The trust is given with no fear or worry, knowing security and peaceful rest are found in the parent’s embrace.

What can we learn from our little children? Jesus says that “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When we are like these young ones who willingly give, adoringly love, unconditionally trust, and willfully seek the comforting arms of the parent—we can become the “such as these.”

Christ teaches us that we must be like these little children in order to “belong” in heaven. As adults, we need to understand the perspective of the child whom Jesus welcomes. It is from the child’s level, kneeling down and lowering ourselves, where we can look upward to our Father with adoration, unconditional love, complete trust, and the sincere faith that true rest is only found in His presence.

We are the adults with the responsibility to provide loving and secure earthly homes for our children. We must be worthy of their love and trust.
We are the adults who must become like our little children to approach Our Father in Heaven and be welcomed by His “come to me.” He will not hinder us; only we can prevent our acceptance, our belonging, into the Kingdom of Heaven.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 11/08/15) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

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WE ARE ORPHANED–WITHOUT GOD.

        ADOPTED CHILDREN-WITH GOD

Orphans none with God

  

 

     

     

ORPHANED- WITHOUT GOD.

O: Outcast
R: Rogue
P: Poor
H: Hungry
A: Abandoned
N: Needy
E: Excluded
D: Desperate

Outcast: We are the cast out from God’s promise of heaven if we do not follow and obey His Word.
Rogue: Without the Father, we are wandering beggars in this world without the hope of His grace and Providence.
Poor: We are only rich through the love of God, through His blessings, through the sacrifice of His Son, and through His grace. Without Him, we face the poverty of an existence devoid of God.
Hungry: Within every human being, God embedded a soul that yearns for His Presence. When we ignore this longing, we remain constantly hungry and unfulfilled.
Abandoned: God cannot bring us into His Light if we do not accept Him as the Father and His Son as our Savior. We are alone, abandoned in the darkness.
Needy: As the Lord provides for the birds of the air and the flowers in the field, His adopted sons and daughters are cared for more abundantly than we can ever imagine. Our needs are never met without Him.
Excluded: When the Judgment Day is upon us, we will not be welcomed into His Presence, excluded from His grace and love for a timeless eternity.
Desperate: Our situation is desperate without Him. There is no hope; there is no true understanding of love; there is no future; there is no peace in our souls. The final desperation will be upon us when He speaks the words: “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:23)

We are not Fatherless, unless we choose to be ORPHANED- WITHOUT GOD.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 11/01/15)  teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word

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TIME: Today Is My Eternity: TIME

 Time life a vapor

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” ¹

TIME: We often wish to hold onto it-to linger in the moment, the hour, the day- and make time pass more slowly. Just one more day, just one more hour, just one more moment. . . And then we will have time to say what we want to say, do what we intend to do, and be what we think we can be. But time just, somehow, slips away—and we don’t have time enough, we reason.

TIME: It does not wait for us. It does not hold “the moment.” It does not provide the “right time.” We decide what to do with the time God gives us. The main focus and allocation of our time should be to follow the Lord, obey His Word, and wake up to the reality that Time does pass and it really could be “too late too soon.”

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.                              (Romans 13:11-12)

TIME: It gives us the hope to change. It grants us the opportunities to make a difference. It bestows us with the gift of each second to unwrap and open the possibilities.

(9) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (10) Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.  (Galatians 6:9-10)

TIME: Isn’t it about time we DID SAY what we wanted to say, we DID DO what we intended to do, and we DID BECOME what we wanted to become—before we end up asking ourselves “How did it get so late so soon?”

“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.” (Ecclesiastes 3:17)

TIME: It won’t last forever here. It will last forever with the Lord. There is much to do in the time God grants us in this life. Let us “put on the armor of light” and boldly SAY what the Lord would have us say, DO what He would have us do, and BECOME what we know we must become-like Christ- to make a change, a difference, and open the possibilities to “do good to all people.”

  What we do-or don’t do- each and every today affects our eternity in a forever way.

¹ Dr. Seuss. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes

(Sharon G. Tate blog 10/25/15) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word